Morning roundup: Kennywood reverses course to remain open on Tuesdays

Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, July 13:

Kennywood to be open Tuesdays

Kennywood has reversed course and will be open Tuesdays into August, according to the West Mifflin amusement park’s online calendar.

“Due to an increase in demand from our guests we have updated our operating schedule,” Kennywood spokeswoman Tasha Pokrzywa said.

Kennywood will be open daily from July 13 through August 20, she said.

Kennywood’s online calendar shows the park being open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays from July 18 through Aug. 8, and then from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Aug. 15.

Severe weather possible

There is a marginal-to-slight risk for severe weather and flooding this afternoon and evening, according to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh.

Scattered storms will be capable of producing damaging winds, large hail and tornadoes between 1 and 10 p.m. for the entire region except for the northwest corner of Pennsylvania.

Heavy rainfall from stronger storms could cause localized flooding, with a higher risk in southeast Ohio into northern West Virginia.

Residents are advised to monitor forecasts and be alert for warnings. Drivers are urged to not drive through flooded roadways.

There is a marginal to slight risk for severe weather and flooding for this afternoon and evening.

Latest trends suggest lower probability of storm occurrence for NW PA, with confidence highest over northern WV. Stay alert and follow us for the latest radar trends. pic.twitter.com/fILU8SXvMp

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) July 13, 2023

New Kensington bridge closing date

The New Kensington Bridge will close on July 24, according to electronic message signs in the area.

No other information was immediately available from PennDOT.

The bridge is expected to be closed for six weeks as part of a two-year, $25 million preservation project. The closure, originally expected in 2024, was moved up to this year.

Pittsburgh man sentenced in nearly fatal robbery

A Pittsburgh man was sentenced in federal court to more than 24 years in prison on his conviction of robbery, discharging a firearm during a robbery and violating supervised release, U.S. Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Wednesday.

U.S. District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Deon Reese, 48, previously of Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood.

According to prosecutors, Reese participated in a robbery on Paulson Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Lincoln-Lemington neighborhood in March 2017 in which the victim was shot and nearly killed. He also tried to obstruct justice by trying to convince the victim to not cooperate with the investigation and his prosecution.

Reese was on federal supervised release at the time. He was sentenced to 271 months, or 22.5 years, in jail in connection with the robbery conviction, and another two years for violating his supervised release.